Move to tackle anxiety drug’s overuse

AN initiative to crack down on over-prescription of powerful tranquillising drugs will be finalised by the Department of Health later this month.

Minister of State for Primary Care Roisin Shortall said she is determined to tackle over-prescription of benzodiazepines, as consumption of the drug is “unacceptably high”.

As highlighted in a special investigation in the Irish Examiner last month, drugs to treat mental health problems cost over €113 million a year, with 14,000 prescriptions for anti-depressants, benzodiazepines, anti-psychotics and sleeping tablets written every day.

The prescription of benzodiazepines Valium and Xanax, used to treat anxiety, has risen dramatically, with 399,798 prescriptions for Xanax in 2009, compared with 283,000 in 2005.

A recent report about a pilot project in Ballymun, set up to help people addicted to the drugs, found an addiction counselling service is an effective complement to GP practices.

The report recommended that the delivery of a counselling service be considered as a model for future projects.

The project in Ballymun — the GP-Community Partnership Addiction Project — was developed as a response to a study by the Ballymun Youth Action Project in 2004.

It found that, within the community, the drugs were widely accepted, and that the normalisation of their use could have immense consequences, not only for the individuals concerned but also for their families and the wider community.

The research also suggested that the restriction of prescription alone does not address the psychosocial issues people experience, and is likely to create additional patient trauma.

Uses of benzodiazepines include treatment for sleep disorders, anxiety and depression, and helping people cope with difficult situations such as bereavement.

While they are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the western world, concerns have been raised about their use, including risk of dependence, cognitive impairment and abuse.

Last year, the Health Research Board published an overview of problem benzodiazepine use in Ireland for 1998-2007. The research revealed growing numbers reporting benzodiazepines as an additional problem drug, but a bigger increase in people using benzodiazepines as their main problem drug.